Granted
by guesswhofern
Summary: "Don't take someone for granted just because you know every time you push them away, they'll always come running back. 'Cause one day they won't." Warning: High Angst Level, OOC


_Don't take someone for granted just because you know every time you push them away, they'll always come running back. 'Cause one day they won't._

* * *

The old man sits on a bench next to the tree, almost invisible from the place where he sees and hears those two young people fighting passionately.

The blonde man is clearly frustrated and angry with the very beautiful-almost as beautiful as his daughter-woman who's standing in front of the man, wearing a red sweater and has black stains running down her cheeks. She must have been crying.

The man, he sees his face now, doesn't look any better. You can see the exhaustion framing his face and although his eyes aren't like they used to be he suspects he sees tears in his eyes, too.

The woman says something to him, but she speaks too low for the man sitting on the bench to hear it.

He only sees how the man shakes his head and flinches away from the hand she tries to lay on his arm.

"No."

It's the first word he hears from the conversation.

From the tone of the man's voice it's an angry but defeating, "no."

"No, Kensi. I know that you had a reason for acting this way, but I don't agree with it and I won't go on like this anymore."

Kensi. That's the name of the tall woman. She's thin, but not the average type of skinny with no curves anywhere; the type with an amazing body behind it.

The name is unique. It's the first time he hears it. His wife's name is Annabelle. Both names are quite calming and sound like they belong to a country where fairies live.

The name suits her. It sounds strong. She looks like she is strong. She has this attitude around her that shows she's not someone to cheat on. Still, in that moment, the observing man sees a woman who is not as strong as she should be, or as she wants to be, but one who is on the verge of a breakdown.

For the first time since the couple entered the park he takes a long look at them. The man is wearing casual clothes. Jeans and a t-shirt. It's the type of jeans he wore when he was younger. Those Wrangler jeans are the best still.

He's wearing a very dark blue shirt, that's all he can see. The woman—Kensi—is standing with her front to him so he can see a bit more. She wears jeans, just like her companion, black boots, a white shirt and a plaid shirt over it. Everything fits perfectly. Everything except the plaid shirt. It's too big for her, but not for her friend. Could it be his paid shirt she is-consciously or not-wearing? He can only guess and for some strange reason he thinks that yes, that's the man's shirt she's wearing.  
He can see her gripping that exact piece of clothing tightly as if she never wants to let it go.

Her voice is cracking the next time she speaks. "Deeks... please."

Deeks. That's surely not a first name. Deeks must be the man's last name.

He sees him shaking his head before stepping back a little.

Deeks is taking a deep breath and studying the woman carefully.

"You don't get it, right? It's not about your damn man you had fun in the bedroom with for the last few weeks! It's about the way you're treating me when you have a relationship or whatever that was.  
The second someone comes into your life it's 'Deeks, who?' We've barely spent time outside of work together for the last two months or so. I mean, who's counting? Certainly not you. You don't even know what happened in my life, right? It doesn't seem to be important to you. You didn't even stop by to visit Monty after I told you he got hurt. Monty is as much your dog as he's mine, Kens. That's what all this fight is about. I'm just tired of being treated like this. Like I'm waiting on the sideline until it's over. Kens, I'm tired of this."

His face softens then. The man on the bench can see Deeks taking in his partner and maybe that's the reason for his smile. Maybe he noticed what she's wearing and knows it belongs to him. Just like the girl, the man thinks.

The blonde man steps forward and takes hold of Kensi's arms.

"It's not like I'm not happy that you're happy. I just wish you wouldn't forget me and not spend time as friends outside of work at all anymore."

Kensi tries to respond but he doesn't let her get one word out because he holds a hand up to stop her.

"You're my best friend and I never ever took you for granted. We didn't spend as much time together as before I had a girl but I always spend my Friday nights with you. Like we promised we would."

The man is looking at her now and the old man guesses that he can see guilt in her eyes.

"Maybe I sound like a girl now but in my world things like this matter and shouldn't be broken. I mean if you can't come one or two times in a row it's okay but not even once in two months you showed up! I'm just sick of it, Kensi!

Deeks raised his voice on the end of the sentence. He looks tired and beat. It's Friday after all, maybe he had a tough work week and didn't expect to have this conversation today.

The man looks at his newspaper again because he thinks he's too obvious and may get noticed. He doesn't want them to notice him because he wants to know how this story and ends, but he's pretty sure they don't notice anything around them because they're too absorbed with each other. The man continues.

"I love you and you're my best friend but I won't let you treat me like this. Not only you but everyone. I just wanted my friend for a few times but that wasn't even possible for you. I hate being second to everyone."

Suddenly the man hears the woman's voice again.

"Can I say something, too?"

He looks at them again and sees the man nodding.

"Go ahead."

She is still for a moment. "Deeks, I can only say that I'm sorry for the pain I caused you. I don't want to lose you. Ryan and I b-"

"That's the problem, Kens. You and your boyfriend broke up, that's why I'm suddenly the most important person again, right? Guess what, I'm not there this time. At least not like the last times. I can't do this anymore."

"No. Deeks... I-" she stutters and wipes away her tears, "I need you, partner. You're my best friend, too."

He hears Deeks huff. "I didn't feel like I'm your best friend for the last few months."

"God, you should have talked to me, Deeks! You feel like I neglect you, you tell me!"

He can hear the man speaking and sees that he throws his hands up in the air. "Now listen. Don't you blame me. I don't even know how this conversation is happening right now. Even if I would have told you, you would have only spent time with me because you felt like you need to after poor Deeks begged for it. No, thank you. We suck at telling each other what we're feeling, yet here we are. Guess something has changed."

The older man looks at them again and sees her eyes widening.

"What do you mean?" She asks afraid.

"I think we lost something important in our friendship that isn't there right now. Maybe that's why we needed to talk. I guess we both know if we don't talk now we lose everything."

"I... Yes. You're right. I'm so sorry, Deeks."

The blonde man shakes his head. "I know you are, Kens, but that doesn't make everything okay."

The man can see that the woman closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.

The man on the bench studies the woman again. She looks exhausted, too but in a different way. She looks defeated because she just lost her boyfriend and her best friend as well.

In the moment he reaches her face he sees determination on the woman's face and something close to admiration for her companion, because maybe she just realized that after all the hurt she caused this man he's still willing to forgive her. Not yet, but soon.

The second he finished his thought he sees the woman wrapping her arms around the man's waist.

He sees the man's hesitation to repay the favor and hug her but it doesn't last long before he hugs her back, pulling her more into him with his arms.

He can't recognize what she's saying to him because she doesn't speak loud or clear enough but from the smile he sees on the man's face he bets it's something he needed to hear.

He will never know that the words she whispered to him were "I love you, too, most." Or that Deeks is already planning their next Friday. Neither does she, until that Friday comes.

All he can see is a man who's happy again and a partner that grins at him when they separate and begin to walk his way.

He quickly looks at his newspaper again and fakes attention while he's still listening to them talking.

The last thing he hears makes him laugh.

"Give me that shirt back, Fern. I know you schtole it."


End file.
